Storage battery filling and venting device



y 1954 E. M. STROHLEIN ETAL 2,678,344

STORAGE BATTERY FILLING AND VENTING DEVICE Filed March 51, 1951 2Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS ELMER M- STROHLEIN WILLIAM W. ALBERT 4 2Sheets-Sheet 2 a I RNEY INVENTORS ELMER M- STROHLEIN WILLIAM W. ALBERTE. M. STROHLEIN ET AL STORAGE BATTERY FILLING AND VENTING DEVICE May 11,1954 Filed March 31,' 1951 Patented May 11, 1954 UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE STORAGE BATTERY FILLING AND VENTING DEVICE Application March 31,1951, Serial No. 218,610

4 Claims. (01. 136-162) Elmer M. Strohlein,

The invention relates to improvements instorage battery filling andventing devices and, more particularly, to that type of filling andventing device that is effective to control the level of the electrolytewithin the cells of a storage battery.

It is among the objects of the invention to provide a new and improvedfilling and venting device which is simple in construction, can be usedto fill simultaneously all cells of a storage battery, and gives a clearand positive indication when the desired electrolyte level has beenreached.

In the drawing, wherein like numerals are used to designate like parts,

Figure 1 is an elevational view partially in cross section showing theimproved filling and venting device in operative position in a storagebattery.

Figure 2 is a plan View taken along the line 22 of Figure 5.

Figure 3 is a view taken along the line 3-3 of Figure 5.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of Figure 2.

Figure 5 is a sectiona1 view taken along the line 55 of Figure 1.

Referring now to the drawing, particularly Figures 1 and 2, there isshown a storage battery container designated generally by the numerall0. Container [0 is here represented to be of the non-spill, doublechamber type i. e., one having an upper chamber l l of sufficientcapacity to receive the electrolyte in case the battery is inverted, andventing means which will remain operative to permit the escape of gasesduring the period of inversion, said venting means being so positionedthat electrolyte cannot escape therethrough regardless of the positionof the battery. These two features do not form part of the presentinvention and are disclosed in U. S. Patent No. 2,472,852 granted toLester E. Lighton on June 14, 1949, and assigned to the assignee of thepresent application. It should be pointed out, however, that the fillingand venting device herein described and claimed is equally valuable forany type of wet storage battery whether or not the non-spill feature isincluded.

Within lower chamber l2 of container I0 is a conventional storagebattery element comprising positive plates [3, negative plates I4, andseparators IS, the entire element being surrounded by electrolyte [6. Astrap I1 connects positive plates 13 to terminal post l8, from whichterminal stud [9 extends through the wall of container Ill and issecured externally by terminal nut 28. Stud 19, which may be constructedof copper to provide better conductivity, is preferably surroundedbetween post [8 and container it by gasket 2! to provide a seal andprevent electrolytic corrosion.

In a similar manner, the negative plate group is provided with strap 22,terminal post 23, terminal stud 2t, terminal nut 25, and gasket 26.

As shown to best advantage in Figures 3 and 5, container it is molded,or otherwise fabricated, with a number of partitions, such as shown at2?, dividing the interior of the container into any desired number ofcompletely segregated compartments 28, each adapted to receive one ofthe hereinbefore described elements, and house a storage battery cell.Partitions 21, as well as the end walls of container H! are recessed asat 29 to receive and support cover member 36, such member then beingsealed to the container HI and partitions 2?, as by a suitable cement.

The upper portion of cover member 30 is provided with a first opening 3|which permits venting during the filling operation when the level ofelectrolyte I6 is below normal, and a second opening 32 through whichelectrolyte or water can be supplied to the cells when desired, andwhich permits venting of gases evolved within the cells during operationof the battery when the electrolyte level is normal or above. Forpurposes of identification, opening 3| will hereinafter be referred toas the venting opening and opening 32 will be termed the fillingopening.

Communicating with the lower end of venting opening 3! is a ventingmanifold 33 formed lengthwise of cover member 36 and having a plu ralityof apertures 34 extending from venting manifold 33 to the bottom ofcover member 30, one aperture being provided for each of thecompartments 28. Venting tubes 35 are either attached to, or moldedintegrally with, cover member 30 so that the tube openings correspondwith apertures 34, the tubes being so constructed and arranged that thelower ends thereof extend downwardly into compartments 28 to the normalor desirable level of electrolyte [6. As shown in Figure 5, one of theventing tubes and its corresponding aperture are directly beneathventing opening 3| to permit insertion of a hydrometer to obtain anindication of the specific gravity of the electrolyte.

' Communicating with the lower end of filling opening 32 is a fillingmanifold 36 provided with a plurality of filling apertures 31 formed ina similar fashion to apertures 34. Filling tubes 38, similar to ventingtubes 35 but of relatively smaller cross-section, correspond with eachfilling aperture and extend downwardly into each compartment 29, thelower end of each such tube being at a point above the lower ends oftubes 35. The length of tubes 33 is so measured that they will remainabove the electrolyte level regardless of the position to which thebattery may be turned. Filling opening 32 is so placed in cover member30 as to be offset from filling apertures 37 in order that there will beno communication between said opening and any of said apertures exceptby way of filling manifold 36.

From the above set forth description, the operation of the device willbe readily apparent. When it is desired to fill the cells, or to addliquid to bring the electrolyte up to the desired level, filling opening32 is utilized. The size of such opening is so gauged that fillingmanifold 36 will be kept full of liquid at all times during the fillingprocess. Additionally, filling manifold 38 is so proportioned as to beof sufiicient size that the liquid passing therethrough will at alltimes form a liquid seal in each of the filling ducts 99. To achievethis, the cross sectional area of the filling manifold must, at anygiven point, exceed the total cross sectional area of those fillingducts between said point and the end wall of the battery. Additionallyit has been found desirable to taper the cross sectional area of thefilling manifold gradually and continually from the largest dimensionwhich is directly under the filling opening to the outer ends of themanifold, at which latter point the area of said manifold is onlyslightly larger than the cross sectional area of one of the fillingtubes.

By such a construction all cells receive liquid simultaneously to permitcomplete filling of the entire battery in the shortest possible periodof time, and a head of liquid is maintained that will enable the deviceto limit the electrolyte level at the desired predetermined point and togive a positive indication when said desired point has been reached.

As liquid passes downwardly through filling tubes 39, the electrolytelevel rises within each cell and air is expelled through venting tubes35, venting manifold 33, and venting opening 3|. When the liquid reachesthe bottom of venting tubes 95, said tubes are sealed off and additionof further liquid to the cell compresses the air within the cell, thehead of electrolyte present within filling tubes 38, filling manifold39, and filling opening 32 being sufiicient to prevent the escape of airby that path. As the filling operation continues, the air is furthercompressed thereby forcing liquid upwardly through venting tubes 35 intothe venting manifold 33 and venting opening 3|, thus giving a positiveindication that the cells are properly filled.

Such indication having been given, it is immediately apparent that nofurther liquid should be added and the filling operation is halted. Anyliquid remaining in venting tubes 35, and venting manifold 33, and infilling tubes 38, filling manifold 30, and filling opening 32 fiowsdownwardly into the cell and adjusts the electrolyte level to a pointbetween the lower ends of tubes 35 and 38. Venting opening 31 is thenclosed by seal plug 39, and a perforated plug 40 is inserted intofilling opening 32 to permit passage through filling tubes 38, fillingmanifold 36, and filling opening 32 of gases evolved during operation ofthe battery.

It will thus be seen that there has been provided a new and improvedfilling device for storage batteries which facilitates the fillingthereof by adding liquid to each cell simultaneously and gives apositive and clear indication when the proper electrolyte level has beenreached.

Obviously, certain refinements and modifications will be apparent tothose skilled in the art. It is, therefore, intended that the inventionshall not be limited by the specific examples set forth but only by thescope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. Means forfilling and controlling the electrolyte level simultaneouslywithin a plurality of storage battery cells comprising, a cover having afilling opening and a venting opening, a venting duct extendingdownwardly from the cover to the normal electrolyte level in each cell,a vent manifold connecting said venting ducts with venting opening, afilling duct associated with each venting duct and extending downwardlyfrom the cover to a point above the lower end of said venting duct, anda filling manifold connecting said filling ducts to said fillingopening.

2. The filling and level controlling means of claim 1 wherein theventing opening is closed with a seal plug and the filling opening isprovided with a perforated plug whereby venting of gases evolved duringnormal operation of the battery will occur solely through the fillingopening.

3. Means for filling and controlling the electrolyte levelsimultaneously within a plurality of storage battery cells comprising, acover having a filling opening and a venting opening, a venting ductextending downwardly from the cover to the normal electrolyte level ineach cell, a vent mam-fold connecting said venting duets with saidventing opening, a filling duct associated with each venting duct andextending downwardly from the cover to a point above the lower end ofsaid venting duct, and a filling manifold connecting said filling ductsto said filling opening, the cross sectional area of said fillingmanifold being greater than the total cross sectional area of saidfilling tubes and the cross sectional area of said filling opening beinggreater than that of said filling manifold.

4. The filling and level controlling means of claim 3 in which thefilling opening is centrally located in the cover, the filling ducts arelaterally ofiset on each side thereof, and the cross sectional area ofthe filling manifold tapers from the center outwardly to an areaslightly larger than that of one of the filling ducts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 1,471,048 Menger Oct. 16, 1923 1,848,035 Van Meter Mar. 1,1932 1,378,223 Woodbridge Sept. 20, 1932 1,993,006 Hermanns Mar. 5, 19351,996,843 Van Meter Apr. 9, 1935 2,021,288 Carlile Nov. 19, 19352,141,621 Setzer Dec. 27, 1938 2,302,719 Sandusky Nov. 24, 19422,505,207 Riggs Apr. 25, 1950 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date272,013 Great Britain June 9, 1927 322,048 Great Britain Nov. 28, 1929

